Bunyip takes on Nyora in Ellinbank league after losing coach Nick Smith

A country club with the second longest losing streak in Victorian footy has a great opportunity to snap it this weekend as it aims to overcome the loss of the senior coach in the lead.

Bunyip gets together before taking on an Ellinbank District opponent earlier this year. Picture: Bunyip Football Netball Club.

Bunyip has added motivation to end its long standing losing run this weekend.

The Bulldogs take on Nyora in the Ellinbank and District league on Saturday looking for their first win since joining from the West Gippsland competition at the end of last year.

But they will have to do it without coach Nick Smith who resigned during the week.

Smith coached the team for the first five games this season after joining in the off-season but made the call in the past few days to leave the club.

“It was around Nick’s health at the moment,” Bunyip president Cass Hackett said.

“We have to look after him and he has to get his health right.

“It was not an easy decision for him but one that had to be made for him.”

Hackett revealed the club tried to help Smith by allowing him time away from the club at training on Tuesday night.

Nick Smith was the coach for the first few rounds this year. Picture: Bunyip Football Netball Club.

In the end it was too much with Smith making the decision to move on, not the club.

“It was purely Nick’s decision and it did not come from the club, I want to quash any rumours or anything that he was pushed out,” Hackett said.

“It was not the case at all. He just realised he couldn’t continue with the coaching and working as well.

“Something had to give.”

Head of football development Dave Bracken will take over for the next few weeks while the club plans its way forward.

He comes in with Bunyip having a great chance to end its 41-game winless streak.

The team has not won since the final round of 2022 West Gippsland league in 2022 and have started life in the Ellinbank league with five straight losses.

But fortunes could change with the Bulldogs set to face Nyora this weekend before facing fellow bottom-four teams Catani and Poowong in coming weeks.

Nyora only just recently ended a losing streak stretching more than 20 games.

It provides a perfect opportunity for the team to bounce back from a tough week.

Hackett said it would be great for the club to get back into the winners circle.

“It would be a win for everyone,” she said.

“That goes to everyone at the club (including Smith) who is working hard (to turn it around).”

Hackett said even if the club didn’t win this weekend the Bulldogs are right where they belong.

“We have a three, five and 10-year plan,” she said.

“We didn’t expect to come into the league and be premiers in the first year.

“The agenda was to rebuild the club around players, get that group back to where we want them to be and bring our supporters and sponsors back.

“It’s (Ellinbank) where we need to be.”

Bunyip takes on Nyora at 2.15pm.